


Kids

by ofmiceandbears



Series: Mice's Nero x OC Fanfiction [1]
Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Based on: Prompts I gave myself, Drabble Collection, F/M, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, OC insert, Orphan talk, Slight AU - Cannon Divergence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:34:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26115775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ofmiceandbears/pseuds/ofmiceandbears
Summary: Jericho and Nero visit Kyrie's orphanage in Fortuna and have a talk about kids.
Relationships: Nero (Devil May Cry)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Mice's Nero x OC Fanfiction [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1896307
Kudos: 4





	Kids

**Author's Note:**

> Part of a collection of drabbles and prompts I gave myself to keep myself busy. Updated whenever.

Jericho had never wanted kids. They required constant care and more patience than the young hunter would ever have. Kids were also loud, messy, and sometimes unbearably annoying. That didn't stop Jericho from allowing several children to grip her sword-calloused hands and lead her to their coloring table, however.

Kyrie still oversaw the orphanage in Fortuna, her gentle presence one of the best things to happen to the orphanage from what Jericho had heard and understood about it's shady past. Nero was adamant on stopping by after their mission in a township nearby, wanting to pop in and see how his childhood friend was doing before heading back to the mainland. Jericho had just wanted to stay outside, but a hopeful look from the other woman had Jericho agreeing to a small tour of the orphanage only a few moments later.

"Here, Miss-Lady, you can have this green crayon since it matches your eyes." One little boy said. Jericho made a small noise and took the crayon, using it to color in an overly exaggerated cartoon horse from one of the coloring books the children had. She was sitting at a much-too-small table in a chair that was even smaller, doing her best to fold her long legs in a way that wouldn't bump the table and make any of the kids mess up their drawings.

"Thanks, buddy." Jericho replied. The young boy absolutely  _ beamed _ at Jericho, and for a moment she thought about adopting him herself. She shook the thought away and asked the boy to pass her a pale yellow crayon.

Jericho knows that her movements, posture, and words are stiff; she never really learned how to interact with children. The thought that they would cry if she said or did something they wouldn't like always sitting at the forefront of her mind. From across the playroom, Jericho can see Nero allowing a few little girls and two boys to oogle and poke at his Devil Breaker. His posture is relaxed, and he speaks easily to the kids, answering each and every one of their questions with patience Jericho hadn't ever really seen before. 

One of the kids chides Jericho for coloring her horse green and she apologizes, taking a bright blue crayon from the child to color a different horse the correct hue. 

-

The sun is just beginning to set when Nero and Jericho leave the orphanage, each laden with various pictures and gifts that the children have given them. Jericho fingers a beaded necklace that one of the girls had gifted her, STRONG LADY spelled out in tiny block letters on the string.

"I thought you didn't like kids?" Nero teases when the girl who had gifted Jericho the necklace comes out to give her one last hug. Jericho knows that he's referring to the time she had mentioned it after one of their missions. They had been sitting atop a mound of demon corpses when the subject had somehow come up. Jericho is surprised that Nero even remembered that conversation.

Jericho replies, "I never said I don't like kids. Besides, even if I didn't, it would be cruel to be a dick to them just because I didn't like them."

There's a pause.

"So…"

Jericho rolls her eyes, but Nero can see the flush that dusts across the bridge of her nose and settles high on her cheeks. "I'm just -  _ scared _ that if I hang out with kids or have any of my own I'll fuck them up. Like, I've got all this baggage and trauma, it wouldn't be fair to shove that on them if I'm having a bad day, you know?"

Nero suddenly feels like their conversation is steering in a new direction, and that Jericho had some first hand experience at what she was describing. They were quiet for a beat, the normally cocksure hunters now in pensive silence. He desperately wanted to ask Jericho about her childhood, as it wasn't something that came up  _ ever _ , but he knew it was a two way street. He never talked about his past, so why should she?

"Y'know," he began, bumping his shoulder against hers in what he hoped was a comforting manner. "There was this Knight back in the order - before I started my apprenticeship - used to really rail on us when we were extra unruly. Picked on me extra hard because of my arm. I used to  _ hate  _ that guy with a passion." Nero came to a slow stop, hands tucked deep into his jacket pockets. He looked up and met Jericho's gaze with his own, midnight forest meeting pale skies. 

"It helped to teach me what I  _ shouldn't  _ do if I were a parent. And I think if you actively know how you might fuck your kids up - and wanting to avoid it - that makes you a better person for acknowledging that."

Jericho stares at Nero in amazement. Nero wasn't often one to say anything particularly meaningful, but this was exceptionally profound, each word laced with care and weight.

"Wow Nero, I didn't know you knew how to say anything nice." Jericho said. Nero grumbles and shoves at her shoulder playfully, knowing that her personality didn't allow her to take anything seriously. Nero was much the same in that regard.

The pair began walking again, Jericho uncharacteristically quiet. When she spoke, her words were so soft Nero almost had to strain to hear - even with his demonic hearing. "My mom used to tell me how bad she wanted to run away all the time. The guy she was seeing always made it a point to remind me that I was worthless. Really took a toll on my confidence as a kid."

Jericho looked away from where Nero was staring at her from the corner of his eye. She was visibly embarrassed, shoulders tight and body jumpy, as if she had too much pent up energy. She gripped her fingers, the appendages crooked and broken and still holding the phantom pain as a constant reminder of what exactly the man used to do to get his point across.

"But then he got possessed by a demon and I got to run this big ass kitchen knife through his face, so that was cool."

Nero let out a guffaw, slinging an arm across Jericho's shoulders to pull her close, nuzzling his face into her hair. Jericho swatted him away, using her elbow to dig into his ribs when he wouldn't move. Nero stood his ground and continued to crowd into her space, cooing about having her open up for the first time in a while.

Despite her protests, Jericho couldn't keep the large grin off her face. She might have her doubts about herself, but in these moments? She felt like she could do anything.


End file.
